Do you have a physical disability that

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Great idea to use the group I'm A Person Not A Diagnosis (although when I looked for groups before to do with disability I didn't find that one) http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/761-i-m-a-person-not-a-diagnosis

I have ME which means even tiny physical efforts (like having a shower) can leave me utterly exhausted. Bigger exertions like walking for more than a few minutes can leave me very sick and debilitated for days or weeks afterwards.

If I were to do normal "moderate" exercise that could very well put me into relapse and I may not be able to even get out of bed. Even low impact things like swimming are very challenging because it's not just the effort of being in the pool but the getting changed/dry and transported to/from - even the small efforts 'normal' people do all the time can be so exhausting (and mental efforts weaken me too). I can use my muscles but they weaken very quickly.

It is a very strange illness which makes your body behave in very counter-intuitive ways! It's a bit like having a battery that doesn't hold it's charge and never fully recharges anyway.

Thanks to certain medication and supplements I've had some slow improvement over the last 2 yrs and am able to do some very gentle stretching and pilates exercices (based on physio exercises for the compacted discs in my back which I've had for over 10yrs now). I can also do a little bit of gentle walking for a couple of minutes, or something like very light gardening maybe a couple of times a week but it has to be carefully planned so I have enough reserves for everyday things too!

Most days it is a struggle to take care of basic self care tasks by myself (like washing, dressing, making drinks, etc) so I am mainly relying on diet/calorie control to lose weight. I will do what exercise I am able to to and try to increase flexibility, strength and tone.

Add into the mix that my illness also gives me tummy/gut disfunction so my diet is restricted. I'm not able to tolerate wholefoods/wholegrain or roughage and red meat is tricky. Having a lot of soluble fibre in my diet helps a lot but this is mainly carbs (white rice, white bread, white pasta, potatoes) and a lot of diet plans tell you to exclude those things. I'm able to eat some fruit and veg so I think a lot of it for me is just trying to get the balance as good as I can and keeping the treats as treats!

I've been looking through the forums reading about quite a few people who have had success losing weight with diet alone so am inspired that it's possible

There's a lot of "anyone can do it" with weight loss and exercise so it's good to connect with people who understand that isn't always true! I've signed up on the group and hope in time to get to you some of you better.